Bargain traveling is easier on the wallet, but luxury travel is often less stressful and more fruitful. This list of resources will help you find unique and extraordinary destinations that will inspire you to travel in luxury every time. Sure, the yachts, private jets and champagne hot air balloon ride are very expensive, but there are treasures to be found for the budget minded traveler looking to indulge in some luxury.

Air Travel

Private Jets: Avoid large commercial airports, long lines, security checks and other travelers. Charter your own personal jet to travel anywhere in the world, with as little as four hours notice.

Chartered Flights: Book your flight on a personal jet or plane to save time, and depending on the destination, maybe even money. Travel in style and comfort, and no fighting for a window seat.

Go High: If money is not an issue and you’re looking for something extraordinary, consider taking a classy hot air balloon ride that includes a gourmet meal and champagne.

First Class Flyer: This website can help you navigate the mysteries of discounted first class air fares & flight upgrades. First Class Flyer, an online newsletter that also has a new blog, is also available on the site.

FareCompare.com: An insightful fare comparison service, good for acquiring a base of information towards an educated buying decision.

www.singaporeair.com They are consistently rated the number one carrier in the world….always on top!

Sea Travel

Tahiti by Gauguin: Sail this luxury cruise ship to exotic destinations. The cruise is tailored for comfort and luxury, it’s like a black tie cruise without the tuxedo.

Charter a Yacht: Sail away to paradise aboard your own private yacht in the Virgin Islands.

More Yacht Resources: A large and useful online resource for yacht charter enthusiasts. Yacht Charters.com is the easiest way to find yachting destination information as well as an extensive listing of yacht charter resources.

www.crystalcruises.com Aboard the two highest-rated ships in the world, Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity, you will discover the hallmarks of Crystal… extraordinary service, abundant space, exceptional quality and incredible choices.

The Orient Express: With six decadent trains, Orient Express is the emperor of luxury train travel. Travel to iconic European destinations such as Venice, Istanbul and Prague on the Venice-Simplon Orient Express, to Machu-Pichu on Peru-rail, to Edinburgh on the Royal Scotsman or through rainforests and past temples of Thailand and Malaysia on the Eastern and Oriental Express.

Rentvillas.com: Rentvillas is a California-based company with a wide selection of beautiful private rental properties throughout Italy. They have a terrific Web site and helpful representatives.

www.kempinski.com Luxury hotels and resorts with remarkable European flair in the most fascinating destinations.

www.rosewoodhotels.com They believe that true world-class status is only achieved when a hotel or resort combines the traditions of its host community with exceptional service, a luxury product and incredible attention to detail.

Romantic Luxury Hotels: Affectionate charm runs rampant in this highly selective list of romantic hotels that are sure to evoke a heightened sense of passion and romance.

The Royal Scotsman: A holiday on The Royal Scotsman is regarded as one of the world’s great travel experiences. Encounter Scotland’s ever-changing landscapes of sweeping glens, towering peaks and mirror-calm lochs as the train weaves through wild countryside and along virgin stretches of coast.

www.fourseasons.com The Canadian-based company has, for nearly 50 years, transformed the hospitality industry by combining friendliness and efficiency with the finest traditions of international hotel-keeping. In the process, Four Seasons has redefined luxury for the modern traveller.

www.ritzcarlton.com The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company sets the gold standard in luxury hospitality worldwide.

www.micato.comMicato Safaris is the world’s best tour operator and safari outfitter. Its list of international awards seem endless!

www.rovos.com Experience the extravagant elegance of rail travel on the most luxurious train in the world. Rovos Rail’s unique train safaris through the heart of Africa combine some of the most magnificent scenery with the glamour and excitement of the golden age of rail travel.

The Blue Train has an aura of mystique about it. Kings and presidents have travelled on this magnificent moving five-star hotel. Its very name has become synonymous with the ultimate in luxury and personal service.

Packages

Luxury Tips: Elegantly appointed site offering a search of the world’s best hotels with online reservations and select city guides with maps, pictures, and travel information.

Tailored Tours: The days of luxury travel live on. This site specializes in catering to those who want to be treated well with tours planned down to the smallest detail including hotel booking, river cruises, safaris and family packages. If the amount of money you spend on a tour is not as important as the amount of pleasure you derive from it…you’ll feel right at home.

Holiday and Leisure Travel: Safaris, cruises on luxury liners and smaller vessels, fine hotels and more all catering to the holiday and leisure traveler looking for the very best.

Luxury Travel Tours: Recognized in the industry for years of experience in arranging African safari tours and now covering the globe with travel offerings from luxury ski packages to French river canal cruises.

Artisans of Leisure: Artisans of Leisure tours are private and highly personalized, created for discerning travelers who expect the highest level of luxury, service, and attention to detail from the minute you begin planning your trip, to the day you return home. Touring is flexible, with your own expert guide and driver in each destination, and each day is tailored to your personal interests, schedule, level of energy, and travel preferences.

Adventure

IExplore.com If you’re looking for more thrills in your vacation, start by exploring iExplore.com. The site offers hiking and biking trips, as well as multi-sport tours. It also boasts expert advice on “experiential travel,” such as a wildlife safari or culinary tour.

Extreme Adventures: Whether it’s a safari in Botswana or sledding with reindeer in Norway, this site has an adventure waiting for you.

Luxury Adventure: We offer a wide variety of rustic- luxury adventure travel options. From adrenaline-packed whitewater rafting in Chile on the Futaleufu River to family, kayaking and multi-sport adventures, we have an expedition to meet your adventure needs and desires. All you have to do is choose an expedition!

Family Adventures: This site gives resources for luxury adventure travel tailor made to fit your family’s needs, with guided tours and experts.

www.wildernesstravel.com Their expert Trip Leaders come from all over the world and from all walks of life—they are naturalists, authors, ecologists, archaeologists, art historians, teachers, and mountaineers.

www.wildland.com For over two decades, they have been leading the way in adventure travel and ecotourism, not just to new destinations, but pioneering new approaches to travel that guarantee your experience with Wildland Adventures will be qualitatively superior.

www.mtsobek.com Their adventures are planned with reasonably paced itineraries, incredible attention to detail, and the right mix of fun, learning, and challenge that ensure a memorable vacation. You will find our adventures physically active and culturally rewarding.

www.keadventure.com KE is the one of the world’s leading independent adventure holiday travel specialist, with 26 years experience of operating small group trekking, climbing, family, cycling and school adventure holidays.

www.geoex.comA pioneer of travel to remote and challenging destinations since 1982, Geographic Expeditions offers a varied portfolio of overland tours, treks, walks, and expeditionary voyages to the world’s most astonishing places.

www.andbeyond.com &Beyond (previously called CC Africa) is committed to providing world-class experiences for discerning luxury adventure travellers in some of the most spectacular natural locations in the world.

www.oars.comNational Geographic Adventure magazine recognized their company as “The Best River & Sea Outfitter on Earth” multiple times based on education, sustainability, quality of service, spirit of adventure and references.